Packing-box.



PATBNIEDSEPT. 26, 1905.

H. D. SLBAR.

PACKING BOX.

APPLICATION nun FEB. s. 1905.

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Httome9s H OIVARD DAVID SLEAR, OF GRANGEVILLE, IDAHO.

PACKING-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 26, 1905.

Application filed February 6, 1905. Serial No. 244.454.

To ll] whmn it ntmy concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD DAVID SLEAR. a citizen of the United States, residing at Grangeville, in the county of Idaho and State of Idaho, have invented a new and useful Packing-Box, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to packing-boxes.

one end of the wheel-shaft in a bearing carried by the penstock and its other end in a bearing supported exteriorly and independently of the penstock. Even with the exercise of the greatest care in mounting the shaft-bearings they are almost certain sooner or later to be thrown out of alinement from the .sinking of the penstock or of the base supporting the external bearing, and this will result in uneven wear of the packing-box from the cutting of the casting and gland due to contact of the shaft therewith. To remedy this, it is necessary to remove the bolts that hold the packing-box upon the penstock, plug up the old bolt-holes, and drill new ones. Owing to the difficulties that attend such repairs, a day or more is frequently necessary, and it is not uncommon for a whole town during the night to be in darkness for that period of time.

The object of the present invention is in a ready, feasible, and thoroughly practical manner to obviate the above objectionable defects by providing a form of packing-box which may be readily adjusted to compensate for any variation in the alinement of the shaft, thereby positively to prevent cutting or wearing away of the casting and gland; furthermore, to provide a packing-box which shall be capable of reversal-that is to say, of being shifted so as to cause the stuffingbox to project within or without the penstock.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the various novel details of construction of a packing-box, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

- In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts, there is illustrated one form of embodiment of the invention capable of carrying the same into practical operation, it being understood that the elements therein exhibited may be varied or changed as to shape, proportion, and exact manner of assemblage without departing from the spirit thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a packing-box constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a view in transverse section taken on the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, exhibiting the stuffing-box in a position the reverse of thatshown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the casting or base-plate of the packing-box, which, as shown, is rectangular in shape, although it may be of any other contour and is provided with bolt-openings 2, by which it can be secured to the penstock. This casting has combined with it, preferably as an integral structure, a flange 3, which may be of the contour of the perimeter of the casting and carries adjusting-bolts 4, in this instance four in number, although if advantageous more than four may be employed without departing from the scope of the invention.

Arranged within the flange 3 is the base 5 of a stuffing-box 6, these two parts being preferably integral and having combined with them a gland 7 of the usual or any preferred construction, the latter having a'flange 8, provided with orifices 9 to be engaged by bolts 10, carried by the stuffing-box, nuts 11, turned on the bolts, operating to effect adj ustment of the gland. The inner end of the gland is countersunk at 12 in opposite direction to a similar countersunk portion 13 in the base of the stufiing-box, and within the chamber thus formed is disposed the stuffing or packing 14, which may be of any suitable material and through which projects the shaft S of the water-wheel.

The base 5 of the stuffing-box is held combined with the base-plate 1 by a plurality of bolts 15in this instance four-which pass through openings 16 in the base 5 and engage threaded orifices in the base-plate 1. The openings are of greater size than the bolts 15, and thus permit adjustment of the stuffing-box relative to the base-plate, as will readilybe understood by reference to Fig. 1.

As above stated, the packing-box of this invention is reversiblethat is to say, the

stuffing-box may project from either side of the base-plate 1, thus to throw the boX within the penstock or exteriorly thereof, as may be preferred. To eflect this result, the baseplate is provided with a central orifice 17 of larger diameter than and through which the stuffing-box will project when its normal position is reversed, as shown in Fig. 3.

In practice the packing-box will be secured exteriorly of the penstock. To eflect adjustment of the box, the holding-bolts 15 are loosened, and the adjusting-bolts 4 are then turned to secure the desired result, after which the bolts 15 are again tightened, thereby positively clamping the base of the stuffing-box against the base-plate 1, while the adjusting-bolts 4 serve efl'ectively to hold the stuffing-box in its adjusted position.

lVhile the packing-box of this invention herein described is particularly adaptable for "use in connection with water-wheels, it is to be understood that it may be used on any other mechanism where it would be of advantage, and as this will be readily understood detailed illustration of the application of the invention to any other mechanism than that described is deemed unnecessary.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A packing-box comprising a casting, a stuffing-box combined therewith and including a longitudinallyadjustable gland, and

means for effecting lateral adj ustmcnts ol the stufling-box relatively to the casting.

2. A packing-box comprising a casting, a stuffing-box combined therewith and embodying a gland, and means for effecting lateral adjustments of the stufling-box relatively to the casting, and longitudinal adjustment of the gland relatively to the stuffing-box.

3. A packing-box comprising a casting provided with a flange, a stuffing-box having a base to bear against the casting, means for combining the base with the casting, and adjusting-bolts carried by the flange and engaging the base to effect lateral adjustments of the stufling-box relatively to the casting.

4. A packing-box comprising a casting provided with a flange, a stuffing-box embodying a longitudinally-adjustable gland and having a base to bear against the casting, means for combining the base with the casting, and adjusting-bolts carried by the flange and engaging the base to eflect lateral adjustments of the stufling-box relatively to the casting.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afflxed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HOWARD DAVID SLEAR.

\Vitnesses J. P. KEE, E. A. DANN. 

